Maniphest T194441

[EPIC] Reading lists on desktop and mobile web
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	Jdlrobson
	May 10 2018, 11:15 PM

Description

Given the introduction of https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Apps/Synced_Reading_Lists to the mobile apps, I'd like to explore what's needed to get this working on web (desktop and mobile).

I have some old mocks for how that feature might work.
It presents a challenge for skin development, so it may be of interest for those who write skins. Maybe we can tease out some good best practices for integrating with multiple skins.

Feasiblity study

The API is tailored specifically for apps where there is a local cache/state. A few API methods will be needed to make it possible for this to be out for web, where there is no state and each resource should have a URI (see subtasks)

@Jdlrobson built out a proof of concept, based on some old mocks/components. It is available as a gadget that you can copy and paste into your user vector.js (or mobile.js):

importScript('User:Jdlrobson/script-reading-lists.js');

Demo:

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Status	Assigned	Task
Declined	None	T194441 [EPIC] Reading lists on desktop and mobile web
Open	None	T198990 It should be possible to delete an entry by title from a reading list
Invalid	None	T198991 It should be possible to query the API to find out what lists an article is on
Open	None	T198992 Reading lists should have a thumbnail derived from its members

Event Timeline

Jdlrobson created this task.May 10 2018, 11:15 PM

Restricted Application added a subscriber: Aklapper. · View Herald TranscriptMay 10 2018, 11:15 PM

Jdlrobson added a project: User-Jdlrobson.May 10 2018, 11:18 PM

RHo subscribed.Jun 18 2018, 9:52 AM

Some interest from app users on
OTRS: https://ticket.wikimedia.org/otrs/index.pl?Action=AgentTicketZoom;TicketID=10733315

I'm personally interested in this, if only as a way to better cater for the use case where users doing deep research on desktop want to take their further reading on the go. Students everywhere would rejoice.

Just tagging Reader's Web for them to track

@Jdlrobson - do you mean building a page to view the lists or allowing users to create lists from web?

ovasileva moved this task from Incoming to Needs Prioritization on the Web-Team-Backlog board.Jun 19 2018, 3:09 PM

Jdlrobson renamed this task from Reading lists on desktop and mobile web to [EPIC] Reading lists on desktop and mobile web.Jun 19 2018, 4:02 PM

Jdlrobson added a project: Epic.

Jdlrobson moved this task from Needs Prioritization to Epics/Goals on the Web-Team-Backlog board.

• Vvjjkkii renamed this task from [EPIC] Reading lists on desktop and mobile web to 65caaaaaaa.Jul 1 2018, 1:11 AM

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CommunityTechBot renamed this task from 65caaaaaaa to [EPIC] Reading lists on desktop and mobile web.Jul 2 2018, 4:19 PM

CommunityTechBot raised the priority of this task from High to Needs Triage.

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Jdlrobson updated the task description. (Show Details)Jul 6 2018, 7:15 PM

cmadeo awarded a token.Jul 6 2018, 8:09 PM

ovasileva triaged this task as Low priority.Jul 11 2018, 9:40 AM

hi @Jdlrobson – just had a quick play with the gadget and not sure if this was just done so for convenience of the demo, but I kinda like the idea of using the same icon to save to Watchlist as a 'special' type of reading list, if only the watchlist would appear in the list of lists too...

A few other random notes:

There is a 'default' reading list called "Saved" that cannot be deleted by users (similar to the watchlist) – I think in your demo it's being called "Your reading list", however all other lists created by users should be deletable
Users should be able to remove articles from lists in the list details view
If an article has been added to a list already, it should show as selected in the add to lists dialog
Enable users to "Create a new list" as an action in the add to lists dialog as well
perhaps just rename the CTA in the add to list dialog from "Cancel" to "Close" or "Done" so that it is clearer how to dismiss the dialog once done. Obvs it should move to top right or bottom of the dialog and be changed to a button style depending on final application of OOUI design pop-up design

Happy to provide design support if/when needed!

Thanks for testing this out!

In T194441#4450786, @RHo wrote:

hi @Jdlrobson – just had a quick play with the gadget and not sure if this was just done so for convenience of the demo, but I kinda like the idea of using the same icon to save to Watchlist as a 'special' type of reading list, if only the watchlist would appear in the list of lists too...

Yeh this would be trivial to fix

A few other random notes:

There is a 'default' reading list called "Saved" that cannot be deleted by users (similar to the watchlist) – I think in your demo it's being called "Your reading list", however all other lists created by users should be deletable

I haven't implemented deletion. When i worked on this there were a few shortcomings with the mediawiki api that were causing too much frustration with other things so I didnt get too far. Deletion api looks quite straightforward so i dont expect any challenges here.

Users should be able to remove articles from lists in the list details view

Currently not feasible on web and my biggest fruatration. T198991 blocks this.

If an article has been added to a list already, it should show as selected in the add to lists dialog

Also blocked on T198991

Enable users to "Create a new list" as an action in the add to lists dialog as well

Trivial.

perhaps just rename the CTA in the add to list dialog from "Cancel" to "Close" or "Done" so that it is clearer how to dismiss the dialog once done. Obvs it should move to top right or bottom of the dialog and be changed to a button style depending on final application of OOUI design pop-up design

Trivial but i should add i have used Preact components for the UI. I guess these would all need to be ported to OOUI which would be much more time consuming.